


Ups and downs

by Alireza



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Pregnancy, a late one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 08:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13783782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alireza/pseuds/Alireza
Summary: Sherlock is being realistic about Molly's late pregnancy and the possible complications. Molly is too, although in a different way.





	Ups and downs

Sherlock couldn't believe it actually happened. It'd been only a week since they decided to try to get pregnant. They expected some problems and negative tests, not knowing that Molly was already expecting. Sherlock was staring blankly at the very positive test, unable to find words. Molly was smiles as if she didn't realise what lay ahead of her. Morning sickness, fatigue, heartburn and all the unthinkable things that happen to a woman's body after birth. Sherlock had never been more grateful for being a man than when he learnt how long the post-partum bleeding lasts.

Molly didn't want to wait with sharing the good news with friends and family. She knew why it wasn't the best idea to do it so quickly, but wanted to be positive. They didn't plan to have more than one child, so Molly was determined to cherish each day of her first and last pregnancy. It was surprisingly easy for her. She didn't seem to have any unpleasant symptoms, only her appetite was increased. She definitely had the tell-tale glow of a mum-to-be, her happiness was contagious. Even Mycroft couldn't stop himself from smiling back at her.

Her optimism didn't fade when the time came for the twelve-week scan. Sherlock expected all sorts of abnormalities, no heartbeat, not enough limbs, something catastrophic and lethal. The little one was fully formed at that stage and Sherlock dreaded to see how it turned out. He, naturally, assumed that Molly would want the NT scan to know the risk of Down's syndrome. Molly calmly informed him that she wasn't going to agree to the combined test.

'Yes, Sherlock, I know. You hate not knowing. Yes, it might be easier not to find out after birth, have some time to prepare.' Molly said as she was slowly stroking her rounded belly. 'And yes, nothing would ever be the same if we are going to have a child with Down's syndrome.'

'This is exactly why you shouldn't refuse screening.' Sherlock argued, baffled by her decision. He couldn't imagine ending his career to focus on a very dependent child. How quickly would he and Molly begin to resent each other, exhausted by the harsh reality of their new life? He didn't want their relationship to end in such a slow, painful way.

Molly gave a sigh. 'I'm being realistic, Sherlock. This may be my only chance to have a baby. Possible trisomy 21 is not a reason enough for me to give up. You don't need to tell me that most of the time, such pregnancy is considered a failure and terminated, I'm aware of that. You can call me selfish; I am going to have this baby.'

Sherlock had no idea how to reason with her. 'Why would you not want to know? It's like refusing to know the sex of the baby. Oh, you don't want to know that either, do you?'

'Spoils the surprise.' Molly smiled, then became serious. 'How many times did you hear about false-positive tests? Stressed out women fearfully going through with the pregnancy only to have a healthy baby?'

'The rate is 2 to 5 %.' Sherlock quickly checked it on his phone. 'Let's consider the worst-case scenario, our child has Down's syndrome. You wouldn't leave it in the hospital, would you? But ask yourself: wouldn't you regret not having the option earlier? The risk of having-'

'The risk. Did you hear about that woman who wanted the medical staff to change the way they talk to expectant mothers about DS? Instead of the word risk, she suggested chance, since there's no risk to mum's health.'

Sherlock didn't say that _mental_ health of such mothers was indeed at risk. 'Molly, no one is saying it's dangerous to mothers, the term risk is used because it's a genetic disorder and no one in their right mind want their children to suffer from it.'

'I know, dear. I do not expect you to agree with me or stay with me if the worst happens. I'm simply informing you of my views and plans for the future.'

 

The twelve-week scan didn't show any problems. Neither did the next one, at twenty-four weeks. Molly carried on as usual, pretending she didn't have a ticking time bomb in her womb. Sherlock discussed it with John. He and Mary had faced the same possibility and to make it worse, they were at that point on the brink of divorce. 

John didn't have much to offer. His advice was to support Molly. It was already too late for termination, the only thing they could do was wait and hope for the best. 

 

Molly was scared she would go into labour prematurely and was less tense with each passing week. Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, it would still be a micro-preemie, but with bigger chances of survival than a twenty-four-week old. As she approached the thirtieth week, she started preparing for the baby's arrival. Sherlock had mixed feelings when he and John assembled Rosie's old cot. He wanted to be happy and enjoy the last peaceful nights before the oncoming chaos. He suddenly thought of how naive and defenceless the child was going to be. How easy to hurt, abuse or kidnap. How was Molly going to cope with endless, unwanted pity? 

 

'I'm having a strong feeling it's a girl.' She said, beaming at a tiny tutu skirt attached to a white one-piece bodysuit. She picked it up and stroked lovingly. 'Look how lovely this is. So cute.'

'This is the newborn size. It's very likely that you won't have a chance to put it on her at all.'

'We're taking it.'

Sherlock groaned in response. Now he was almost sure it was a boy.

 

At forty weeks, they had another reason to worry. Stillbirth. The longer the placenta had to work, the bigger the risk was. Molly didn't allow herself to consider not coming back from the hospital with Poppy/Sophie/Maya in her arms.

Finally, the day came. A new Holmes entered the world. Sherlock didn't think he would cry, but he did. So did Molly. They couldn't stop staring at their baby. It was a healthy boy. 'Are you sure?' they asked a thousand times, not entirely ready to accept the good news. It had been a memorable journey and now they were about to start a new, much longer one.

'Can we call him Jacob?' Sherlock suggested innocently. No one was going to figure out that it was a way to remember not only J. Hamish Watson but also a certain James.

Molly patted his shoulder. 'We don't have to decide this instant.

'So no?'

'No.'

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I went there. Molly isn't the youngest and I do think this fic had to be written.


End file.
